Into The Future
by Sky Blue Angel
Summary: A semi-sequel to 'Seeing the Past' After Alliene disappears Captain Planet takes some time to himself, but Wheeler takes his leaving very hard.


Welcome to angst. SLIGHT slash hints, yet again.. and you might want to read 'Seeing the Past' before you read this.. it'll make WAY more sense that way. Disclaimer: I don't own Captain Planet.. I do own Alliene  
  
Wheeler sighed, his hands twitching as he clenched them into fists. He was laying on his bed, on top of a thick blanket. His fist were tangled in his hair, dragging at it with tightened fingers.  
  
"Damn him." Wheelers voice was grating and surprising to his own ears. He hadn't thought to speak aloud, hadn't thought to voice the thoughts that pounded his head. His fingers went limp, touching his hair lightly, resting heavily on the pillow. "Damn him." Wheeler sat up, straightening his back before flopping over, his head pillowed on his knees. "Damn him." One last time, a voice shaking with emotion. Slowly Wheeler stood, turning his darkened ring between his fingers. They hadn't forced the Captain to return since that day, let him wander over the island lost within his own thoughts. They had tried to help him, talked to him. He had brush them away, shoved them aside as though worthless.  
  
"Wheeler?" Linka's voice was quiet, half whispered. "Will you come out yet?" She peeked through the door into the darkened room, her eyes seeking the figure hidden in its shadowy depth. "Wheeler?" Her voice shook, wondering if he had done the unthinkable, she pushed the door open more, sliding one foot in the room. Her eyes finally came to rest on the bed and the figure on it. Curled in on himself, Wheeler looked far younger then his 17 years. He looked like the small child she had the feeling he'd never gotten to be. "Are you okay?" She entered the room slowly, each step into the darkness like a step into a nightmare. "Wheeler?"  
  
"What?" His voice was cold, filled with an anger she knew he didn't feel. He lifted his head slowly, tear filled eyes resting on Linka's own.  
  
"You need to come out Wheeler." Her voice was sweet, as though she was talking to a 5 year old. "You've been in this room for over 2 weeks." She reached for him, trying to touch his shoulder.  
  
"I don't want to leave yet." His voice was sad, his head leaning into her touch. "I'm not ready to leave." He sighed quietly, a soft exhalation of warm breath.  
  
"Why not? Everyone misses you." Linka smiled down at him, waiting for a response.  
  
"Not everyone." He murmured "Not the one that matters."  
  
Linka sighed, squeezing her fingers into a fist. She knew who he was talking about. They all felt the same way. Rejected. But none of them had taken it as hard as Wheeler, not even Ma Ti. The rest of them had moved on, simply waiting for the Captain to return. Wheeler had stormed off, locking himself in his room. It had taken hours to convince him to let them in, days to get him to eat even the smallest amounts. This fact was evident to anyone, the weight loss having already affected him. Even to Linka's gentle touch he felt too thin.  
  
"You need to come out. You'll waste away if you stay in here." She moved her hand to his shoulder, squeezing tightly, almost crying when she felt the bones so close to the pliant skin.  
  
"I won't." He shook her off, turning to face the wall. Nothing mattered anymore, at least not to Wheeler's mind. He pulled his knees tighter to his chest, burying his face in his hands. "Out."  
  
Linka backed out of the room, closing the door with a gentle click behind her. She sighed, shaking her head as she made her way down the hallway. At the end she found Kwame and Ma Ti obviously waiting for her.  
  
"Will he come out yet?" Ma Ti's voice was nervous, his fingers wrung around Kwame's hand.  
  
Linka shook her head sadly. She walked around them, heading for the clearing where they spent most of their time. She could her them following her and she knew that they would expect answers once they had arrived at their destination. She thought about just walking in circles for a while, putting of the inevitable, but Linka couldn't do that, she was blunt with her words, never straining to the side of the issue.  
  
The clearing was a beautiful place, filled with flowers and trees. They had chosen it for its beauty and nature. There were few shadows, and the light was the brightest it was on the entire island. Linka lowered herself to the ground, resting her back on a blooming tree. A single petal fell into her lap, shining with the dew of a new day. She catches it lightly, barely touching it with the very tips of her fingers. She let it fall onto a gentle breeze, floating away from her. Linka sighed, her eyes meeting Kwame's as he entered the field.  
  
"He still refuses to leave." There was no question in Ma Ti's voice. He seemed almost defeated, leaning heavily on Kwame. "He's given up."  
  
"I don't think so, not quite yet." An oddly familiar voice sounded from behind them. Floating before their eyes was Alliene. She sat cross-legged 2 feet in the air, hovering above a rose bush. "He still has hope, though very little." She smiled at them.  
  
"You disappeared!" Ma Ti's voice was shocked, his eyes wide. "Captain Planet said you couldn't go on without him!" his voice shook, as did his entire body.  
  
"And he was right." Alliene smiled serenely. "I couldn't continue, so I joined with him and you. All of you." She looked them over, her eyes darkening. "So you haven't noticed yet?"  
  
"What do you mean?" Linka glared at Alliene, wondering what she could mean.  
  
"I mean, your powers will work without the rings." Alliene shot a glance in Linka's direction. "It's an ability I granted you so Masse could remain free." She sighed, lowering her eyes. "I left him, you must not." Her eyes grew hard, glaring out into the forest. "I must insist you find him and bring him back to Wheeler. If you do not do this they will both be lost."  
  
"What do you mean?" Kwame stepped forward, his eyes questioning Alliene.  
  
"Wheeler is dying. Masse is losing himself. Soon they will both be lost beyond mortal care. You are their only hope." Alliene flashed a wink before she dissolved into the background.  
  
"We're their last hope." Linka's voice was hard. "We've been the last hope of this planet many times. Now we must save the saviors." She nodded towards Kwame and Ma Ti. "I'll find Captain Planet." She headed off, searching the forest. Linka wandered through the thick vegetation, hoping against hope she wouldn't run into anything poisonous. Linka had noted Gaia's odd habit of housing all the poisonous plants on the planet on the forest floor.  
  
Linka sighed, her head resting against a tree. She'd been wandering for hours, searching the forest for any sign of the Captain. None had presented themselves, no ruffled leaves or broken flowers. Linka closed her eyes, hoping for some sign of his presence. A warning bell went off in her head, a tiny alert telling her someone was watching. Linka whirled around, twirling until her eyes turned upwards, catching sight of the one she sought.  
  
"Captain Planet!" Her voice rang loud compared to the birds that had been singing. "Get down here!" The command in her voice was evident, ringing true in her eyes as well.  
  
Captain Planet floated down, settling silently among the greenery. His eyes were sad, his head hung low.  
  
"Why did you come after me?" His voice was hopeless and hard, filled with sadness anger and misunderstanding. "I told you to leave me alone."  
  
Linka had planned a speech, written it in her head as she searched the forest. It had all slipped at the sight of Captain Planet. Her heart broke at his eyes, shattering at the sound of his voice.  
  
"You need to come back. Wheeler's going to die. He misses you so much." Her voice shook, barely making its way past her lips. "If you don't come back, he's doomed."  
  
Captain Planet's eyes grew wide, his lips quavering.  
  
"Wheeler." His voice shook, filled with an emotion beyond words. "Why is he in danger?" A sudden anger filled his voice. "Why is he in danger?" He glared down at Linka, his eyes burning with a smoldering fire.  
  
"He feels rejected. When you left, he ran to his room and hasn't been willing to leave yet! He's barely eaten. He needs you there!" Linka's voice was wavering, the tears threatening to spill out. "I would do anything to save him and he needs you." She fell to her knees, covering her face with her hands. She heard his running off, his feet slamming so quickly on the ground they ran together like running water.  
  
Kwame knelt beside Wheeler's door, his forehead resting on the cool wood. Ma Ti was beside him, leaning his head on Kwame's shoulder. No sounds came from the room, except the sound of breathy sobs and rustling clothing. Ma Ti exhaled into Kwame's ear, sending shivers down his spine.  
  
"He's still alive, right?" Ma Ti's voice was quiet, meant only for Kwame's ears.  
  
"I can hear him crying." Kwame's voice was barely a breath, perhaps meant only for his mind. "I hope Linka can find Captain Planet soon." His voice was harder, without the glimmer of hope his words seemed to deserve.  
  
"Where's Wheeler?" Captain Planet's voice filled the room, harsh and breathless. He leaned against the door frame, his chest heaving. "Where is he?"  
  
Kwame nodded toward the room, staring at the figure before him. He had never thought to see the Captain like this, panting in a corner, begging for news of a comrade. Wheeler had also seemed the strongest, always ready for a challenge if it came his way. Something clicked in Kwame then, a thought he had been entertaining for a while. Two strong souls, and a fiery link. Almost to be taken literally. Ma Ti pushed closer to Kwame, sliding his hand in-between Kwame's fingers.  
  
"He is there." Ma Ti's voice was quiet, halfway thought to Captain Planet. "And he needs you." He smiled slightly, a tiny grin. "Go in."  
  
Captain Planet nodded, his eyes dark. He took a step forward, wait as Kwame and Ma Ti moved away from the door. His fingers closed on the doorknob, turning it silently. Captain Planet blinked, his eyes shocked at the odd darkness. Wheeler had always kep his room bright, whether with fire or the open window.  
  
"Wheeler?" For the first time, Captain Planet felt the anger seep out of him at the sight before him. Wheeler was curled tightly on the bed, facing the wall while breathy sobs shook his thin form. Captain Planet stepped forward, barely making a sound as he stepped across the smooth floor. "Wheeler?" He set one hand on the shoulder, shocked at the weakness he could feel. "Wheeler?"  
  
"Go away!" Wheeler twirled around on the bed, his eyes widening at the sight that greeted me. "Captain P-p-planet?" His voice shook, tears flowing down his cheeks in a steady stream. Wheeler sat up slowly, staring straight at the figure before him. "Is it really you?" He watched the slow nod, not quite believing.  
  
"It's me." Captain Planet nodded, staring deep into Wheeler's hurt eyes. He saw a depthless sadness, a depression beyond words. Slowly he knelt before Wheeler, placing a solid hand on the skinny boy's shoulder.  
  
Wheeler threw himself around Captain Planet, not thinking about anything but the warm and solid figure before him. He was engulf in warm, thick arms. Wheeler could feel the pulse of the earth and the warmth of fire in the Captain's arms and chest. Slowly he relaxed, letting the feeling of safety flow over him. A sob tore through him. Wheeler's chest heaved, thick streams of tears covering his cheeks. Captain Planet tightened his arms around Wheeler's shoulders. He held him in an tight embrace, letting the tears stain his shoulder.  
  
"I'm back." Captain Planet squeezed Wheeler closer to him, holding the sobbing boy to his chest. "And I won't leave this time." Captain Planet held Wheeler so tightly he felt he could make him a part of himself, take the boy into himself and hold him forever.  
  
"Took him long enough." A quiet whisper form the back of the room. Captain Planet and Wheeler were oblivious, wrapped up in the other. "maybe now they'll figure it out." Alliene smiled, her ghostly lips twitch upwards. "Now he won't be alone." Slowly she turned her back on them, floating off into the space she had always wished to explore. The humans had gotten that from her, that wish to know the beyond. Slowly she settled among the stars, watching over he people, her lover and her chosen ones.  
  
. Wow. Didn't think I could write like that.. Anyway, tell me what you think! The end of this is kind of a tribute to Columbia.. They died so we could explore, so by all means let us! 


End file.
